for our blood--I
tell you that it seemed to me like being in heaven.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

I don't know how time passed then; but the next thing I remember is
listening to the firing for a while, and then, leaning on Lizzy, being
helped to the women's quarters, where, in spite of all they could do,
those children would keep escaping from their mother to get to Harry
Lant, who lay close to me, poor fellow, smiling and looking happy
whenever they came near him; and I smiled too, and felt as happy when
Lizzy, after tending me with Mrs Bantem as long as was necessary, got
bathing Harry's forehead with water and moistening his lips.

"Poor fellow," I thought, "it will do him good;" and I lay watching
Lizzy moving about afterwards, and then I think I must have gone to
sleep, or have fallen into a dull numb state, from which I was wakened
by a voice I knew; and opening my eyes, I saw that Miss Ross, pale and
scared-looking, was on her knees by the side of Harry Lant, and that
Captain Dyer was there.

"Not one word of welcome," he said, with a strange drawn look on his
face, which deepened as Miss Ross rose and went close to him.

"Yes," she said; "thank God you have returned safe.--No, no; don't touch
me," she cried hoarsely. "Here, take me away--lead me out of this!" she
said, for at that moment Lieutenant Leigh came quietly in, and she put
her hands in his. "Take me out," she said again hoarsely; and then like
some one muttering in a dream: "Take me away--take me away."

I said that drawn strange look on Captain Dyer's face seemed to deepen
as he stood watching whilst those two went out together; then he passed
his hand over his eyes, as if to ask himself whether it was a dream; and
then, with a groan, he leaned one hand against the wall, feeling his way
out from the room, and something seemed to hinder me from calling out to
him, and telling him what I knew. For I was reasoning with myself what
ought I to do? and then, sick and faint I seemed to sleep again.

But this time I was waked up by a loud shrieking, and a rush of feet,
and, confused as I was, I knew what it meant: the hole where the blacks
escaped--Chunder and his party--had not been properly guarded, and the
mutineers had climbed up and made an entrance.

The alarm spread fast enough, but not quick enough to save life; for,
with a howl, half-a-dozen sepoys, with their scarlet and white coatees
open, dashed in with fixed bayonets, and two w